panied by a woman fhining with glory; the firft of these was St. John the Evangelist, and

abfurd and tyrannical: they pretended, that the whole univerfe belonged to their monarchy. It well became fuch an abject race to fet up for conquerors of the world.!

The profound learning which we find attributed to the Egyptian priests is alfo one of the most ridiculous abfurdities in antient hiftory, that is to fay, in fable. People who pretended that in a revolution of eleven thousand years, the fun had rose twice in the west and fet twice in the eaft in beginning his courfe anew, were doubtlefs, curious aftronomers. The religion of these priests, who governed the ftate, was inferior even to that of the most favage people of America: every one knows that crocodiles, monkies, cats, and onions, were the objects of their adoration; and there is not perhaps in the world fo abfurd a worship, excepting that of the great Lama.

Their arts were as mean as their religion; there is not one antient Egyptian ftatue fit to be feen; and whatever they had amongst them of any merit, came from Alexandria in the times of the Ptolo

the other the holy virgin. St. John dictated to him a creed, which Gregory afterwards went about to preach. In his way he paffed through Neocefarea, where the rain obliged him to stay all night, and he took up his lodging near a temple famous for its oracles. Here he made feveral figns of the cross. The high-prieft

coming the next morning into the temple was furprised to find, that the oracle did not give its anfwer as ufual; upon which he invoked the

mies and Cæfars, and was the works of Grecian artists: nay, they were even obliged to fend to Greece for masters to teach them geometry.

The illuftrious Boffuet, in his difcourfe upon univerfal history, dedicated to the fon of Lewis the Fourteenth, r -runs wild in his encomiums upon the merits of the Egyptians; this may dazzle the un derstanding of a young prince, but will never fatiffy men of learning. This production is a very fine piece of eloquence; but an hiftorian ought to be more of the philofopher than the orator. The re

flections here offered concerning the Egyptians are merely conjectural; for by what other name can we call any thing that is faid concerning antiquity?

fpirits

fpirits of the place, who appearing, told him, that they could no longer inhabit that manfion, as St. Gregory had passed a night there, and had made figns of the crofs; upon which the highprieft caufed Gregory to be feized, who gave him to understand, that he could drive out or cause to enter the familiar fpirits wherever he pleafed if fo, faid the high-prieft, pray fend them back here again; then St. Gregory tearing a leaf from a little book he held in his hand, wrote these words upon it," Gregory to Satan, I "command thee to enter again into this temple;" the paper being laid upon the altar, the dæmons in obedience to the faint's mandate, gave their oracles that day as ufual; after which they remained filent.

This ftory is related by St. Gregory of Nyffa in his life of St. Gregory Taumaturgos. Certainly, the idolatrous priests had great reason to be offended with St. Gregory, and might have delivered him over to the fecular power, as one who was their greatest enemy; and yet we do not find that they offered him any burt.

We

The hiftory of St. Cyprian informs us, that he was the first bishop of Carthage who suffered martydom; this was Anno Dom. 258. confequently no bishop of Carthage had been put to death on account of religion for a great length of time. The hiftory of this faint does not inform us what charge was brought against him, who were his enemies, or how he incurred the difpleasure of the proconful of Africa. We find St. Cyprian thus writing to Cornelius, bishop of Rome," There has been a tumult of the people lately at Carthage, in which it was "twice proposed to throw me to the lions." It might poffibly happen, that the blind resentment of the people of Carthage, did at length caufe Cyprian to be put to death; for, certainly, he was never condemned to fuffer for his religion by the emperor Gallus, who lived at so great a diftance, and, moreover, permitted Cornelius to exercife his epifcopal function under his very

eye.

So many and various are the hidden caufes that are frequently blended with the apparent one, in the perfecution of an individual, that it is hardly poffible for pofterity to discover the

true fource of the misfortunes that befal even the most confiderable perfonages, much less that of the sufferings of a private perfon, hardly known to any but those of his own fect.

And here let it be observed, that St. Gregory Taumauturgos, and St. Denis, bishop of Alexandria, who were both cotemporaries with St. Cyprian, neither of them fuffered any persecution. How then happened it, that being certainly as well known as the bishop of Carthage, they were fuffered to live unmolested, while he was delivered over to punishment? May we not fairly infer, that the one fell a victim to perfonal and powerful enemies, either in confequence of a malicious accufation, or from reafons of state, which frequently interfere in religious matters, while the other had the good fortune to escape the defigns of wicked men?

We cannot with any degree of probability suppose, that the charge of being a Chriftian was the only cause of St. Ignatius being put to death, under the juft and merciful Trajan, fince we find that feveral of his own religion were fuffered to accompany and minifter comfort to his way to Rome +. There had been

him on

+ Tho' we do not prefume to doubt the fuffer

ing